Family photographer in West Hampstead
I recently had the pleasure of photographing this wonderful family in West Hampstead. It was great to have a shoot so local to me and gave the me the opportunity to get to know my local area a bit better. We made an early start at 9.30 (it’s always good to start before the sun gets too strong and unflattering) and I had recommended we kick off with some pictures in their home. This is a nice way to relax and for me to get to know everyone a little bit.
The girls were a little bit shy to begin with but quickly warmed up as I suggested they show me their bedrooms and toys. Before long they were showing me round the house, which helped me to spot a couple of nice spots for our pictures, including their amazing garden. Mum was a bit worried that they hadn’t cleared up the autumn leaves but I was very happy to see the garden looking so colourful and I knew the leaves were going to provide a bit of fun later.
After chatting for a short while the girls were happy for me to start taking pictures. The front room was nicely lit and a perfect place for some family pictures on the couch. It’s a nice easy way to start a family shoot with group shots, including some individual ones with mum and dad. I try not to make these too formal - we’ll take a couple of images when everyone is smiling to the camera, but I prefer the pictures when everyone is interacting and engaging with each other. I’ll often use little prompts to encourage this and hopefully spark some laughter and fun expressions.
With these done the girls wanted to do some drawing and crafts, which was a good moment to capture some documentary images. I love this part of the shoot, as people tend to forget about the camera so the images tend to be more natural and interesting. For parents it’s just lovely to have a record of a normal lazy weekend morning at home.
We then moved into the garden and, as expected, the beautiful carpet of leaves provided a great focal point for pictures. The sun was still low in the sky and the light was gorgeous. The girls had lots of fun and I even managed to capture a tender moment between mum and dad.
It was then off to the playground for the last part of our shoot. I had never heard of Mapesbury Dell but mum had told me in advance that it was a real gem. Playgrounds are an awesome place for creative and fun images. The kids are totally in their element and not distracted by the camera, and the climbing frames and slides provide interesting options for composition with colours, different shapes and frames.
As the girls were tired we decided to wrap up and start the short walk home. Even when we’ve finished shooting I’ll always keep the camera ready just in case there are interesting pictures I don’t want to miss. As we walked down the street one of the girls stopped to pick up leaves in a beautiful pool of light. I love the tender moments and fab expressions in these final images - a really lovely finish to our shoot.
If you’re thinking you might like me to capture a bit of your family magic, here’s what to do next:
To find out more about my sessions, how I work and prices and packages, download my e-brochure, which is packed full of info and previous client galleries.
If you’d like to go ahead and reserve a session, I still have some availability for winter shoots in January and February. Just go to my online calendar to make a booking and pay the session fee, and I’ll be in touch.
If you’d like to get to the front of the queue for spring shoots, you can join my Wait List here. You’ll be first to know when dates are released, have first dibs on sessions for March, April and May, and get a Wait List discount.
If you’re unsure and would just like to have a chat, please get in touch and we can arrange a call :)